Ellie is young, rich, engaged, and in love. In the carefree days before marriage and new responsibility, she decides to house-sit at Aunt Kate's palatial estate in Burton, Virginia. With its nearly invisible housekeepers and plethora of pets, Ellie feels right at home. But when she opens an antique book about the town's aristocracy, she finds disturbing secrets that extend to her own family.

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Publisher's Summary

Ellie is young, rich, engaged, and in love. In the carefree days before marriage and new responsibility, she decides to house-sit at Aunt Kate's palatial estate in Burton, Virginia. With its nearly invisible housekeepers and plethora of pets, Ellie feels right at home. But when she opens an antique book about the town's aristocracy, she finds disturbing secrets that extend to her own family.

Suddenly, Ellie's interest in the past is attracting a slew of unwelcome guests - some of them living and some perhaps not. Unwittingly, she has aroused a terrible vengeance that is now aimed at her.

This is an older work of Elizabeth Peters (she of the Amelia Peabody mysteries) but remains one of her best. It's a well-written romance with overtones of the supernatural and one of the funniest books she's ever written, although that doesn't dilute the spookiness of the scarier scenes. There are characters you'll like and characters you'll cheerfully detest. I heartily recommend this for any circumstances, but especially for long drives when you want to stay awake -- you can't stop listening because you want to know what happens, although other drivers may wonder why you're laughing like a loon when you're alone in your car!

When I first read this book some 20 years ago, I remember it being a delight. It has not aged well, however. This time around, it seemed hopelessly dated, particularly with regard to all the allusions to then in-vogue "women's lib." When it finally wraps up and the mystery is solved, I found it hard to believe the motives of the villain/s.

This is one of my favorite books. It's well written, the characters are people you might know. I always feel a little bereft when I finish and realize that I can't just call them up and find out how they are doing. It has the perfect balance of mystery, supernatural horror (mild) and romance.

Where does Devil-May-Care rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The story is somewhat predictable but it is still a good listen. The reader doesn't use much voice distinction so at times it causes confusion about the speaker. It is supposed to be more thrilling than I have felt listening.

What did you like best about this story?

The premise is good if predictable. The characters are well developed.

What about Grace Conlin’s performance did you like?

She pronounces words well and reads a sentence with proper emphasis. There is no question about what the author wrote.

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